Adjustable door hinge containing coil spring

ABSTRACT

A tubular pivot pin inside the barrel of a pair of hinge leaves contains a coil spring. Mounted in the opposite ends of the barrel are plugs, one of which is provided with an axial passage through it having an adjustment member therein provided with an outer portion rotatably mounted in the passage and an inner portion projecting from the inner end of the plug. The ends of the spring are connected to the plugs. Releasable interengaging means normally prevent rotation of the adjustment member in the plug passage, but the outer end of that member has means for receiving a tool for turning it in the passage to adjust the tension on the spring when the interengaging means are disengaged.

United States Patent 1 91 Gwozdz ADJUSTABLE DOOR HINGE CONTAINING COILSPRING [75] Inventor: Joseph W. Gwozdz, Clark Summit,

[73] Assignee: McKenney Manufacturing Company, Scranton, Pa.

[22] Filed: Jan. 18,1973

[21] Appl. No.: 324,819

52 us. c1. l6/l 89, 16/52 [51] Int. Cl EOSf H12 [58] Field of Search16/189, 188,132, 134, l6/l29, 52

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,3l6,582 5/l967 Johnstonl6/52 R6,l 12 11/1874 Joycc.....' 1 6/189 [11] 3,825,973 451 July 30,1974 Primary Examiner-Bobby R. Gay

Assistant Examiner-Doris L. Troutman Attorney, Agent, or FirmBrown,Murray, Flick &

I Peckham 57 ABSTRACT A tubular pivot pin inside the barrel of a pair ofhinge leaves contains a coil spring. Mounted in the opposite ends of thebarrel are plugs, one of which is provided with an axial passage throughit having an adjustment member therein provided with an outer portionrotatably mounted in the passage and an inner portion projecting fromthe inner end of the plug. The ends of the spring are connected to theplugs. Releasable interengaging means normally prevent rotation of theadjustment member in the plug passage, but the outer end of i thatmember has means for receiving a tool for turning it in the passage toadjust the tension on the spring when the interengaging means aredisengaged.

6 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures il' ll ll ll Hill 1 ill] wildPAliminJuLaolan 3825.973

sum 10? 2 ADJUSTABLE DOOR HINGE CONTAINING COIL SPRING Door hinges thatcontain coil springs for closing the doors are well known. Hinges alsoare known in which the tension on the springs can be adjusted to suitconditions. However, heretofore the adjusting means have detracted fromthe appearance of the hinges and often require special tools for makingthe adjustments.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a spring hingewhich is pleasing in appearance and which can easily be adjusted, insome cases with only a screwdriver. i

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG.1 is a side view of the hinge while open, with top v and bottom portionsbroken away in section;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section; FIGS. 3 and 4 arecross sections taken on the lines III- -III and IV--IV, respectively, ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a view, similar to FIG. 2, of am'odification;

' FIG. 6 is a cross section-taken on the line VIVI of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section of a further embodiment of theinvention; and

FIG. 8 is a cross section taken on the line VIII-VIII of FIG. 7.

- Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a pair of hinge leaves 1 that aredisposed side by side are provided with conventional hollow knuckles 2that are staggered so thatthey can be disposed in axial alignment withone another to form a cylindrical barrel. The barrel may project aboveand below the hinge leaves a short distance, but it does not'have to doso. Engaging the inside of the barrel there is a tubular pivot pin 3that holds the knuckles in alignment and forms a pivot pin on which theycan turn. Engaging the lower end of the barrel or of that member thencan be turned to rotate the adjustthat fits inside the pivot pin andextends upwardly to a point near the upper end of the pin;

Mounted in the upper end of the barrel or upper knuckle is another plug9 that rests on top of the knuckle; This plugis held in place by a setscrew 10 extending through one side of the knuckle and into the plugabove the pivot pin. As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, this upper plug isprovided with an axial passage-ll through it that has an enlarged lowerendportion, into which the inner end of the set screw normally projects.Disposed in this passage is an adjustment member 12 that has an outer orupper portion rotatably mounted in the passage, and a lower portionprojecting from the inner or lower end of the plug. The diameter of theportion of the adjustment member in the enlarged lower end of the plugpassage is greater than the diameter of the upper end of that passage sothat upward movement of the adjustment member in the plug. is limited bytheir superimposed radial shoulders. The lower portion of the adjustmentmember below the plug is provided in its side with a notch 13 thatreceives the hooked upper end of the coil spring. The coil spring iscompressed lengthwise or vertically slightly so that it continuallypresses the. adjustment member upwardly in the upper plug to itsuppermost position, in which its upper end is flush with the top of theplug.

Releasable interengaging means normally prevent rotation of theadjustment member in the encircling plug. As shown in FIGS-2 and 3,these means include circumferentially spaced depressions 15 in theportion of the adjustment member inside the lower end of the upper plug,and the set screw 10 that normally projects into one of thesedepressions.

To adjust the tension on the coil spring in order to have it close adoor more slowly or more rapidly, the setscrew 10 is backed off untilits inner end is free of the depressions 15 in the adjustment member.Ascrewdriver inserted in the slot or kerf 16 in the upper end the springcan be changed.

In the modification shown in FIGS.- 5 and 6, the wall of the enlargedlower portion of the axial passage through the upper plug 20 is providedwith inwardly projecting circumferentially spaced teeth 21' that receivebetween them similar teeth 22 projecting from an adjustment member 23rotatably mounted in theplug.

These interengaging teeth normally prevent the adjustment member fromturning in the plug. The plug is anchored in the upper knuckle 24 by aset screw 25 or hollow rivet extending into the side of it from theknuckle. To adjust the tension on the coil spring 26, a screwdriver isinserted in'a slot 27 in the upper end of the adjustment member andpushed down against the resistance of the spring to disengage the teethof the adjustment member from the surrounding teeth 21 of the plug. Theadjustment member then can be turned in either direction in the plug toobtain the desired spring tension and then it is allowed to move back upin the plug so that the two sets of teeth will fit together again andprevent relative rotation between the adjustment member and the plug.Only a screwdriver is required for making the adjustment. In fact, theadjustment could be made in the same way in FIG. 1 by not disturbing theset screw but, instead, pressing down on the ad justment member tofreeit from the screw and then turning the adjustment member beforeallowing it to move back up in the plug. I

In the further embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, thereis not even any necessity for press- Here again the two elements areprovided with interengaging teeth, but in this case the teeth are shapedlike ratchet teeth with sloping sides and also sides in radial planes ofthe plug, so that when the adjustment member is turned counterclockwiseas viewed in FIG. 8 by member back up in the plug. Turning of theadjustment member in the opposite direction in this hinge isprelieve thetension. on the spring, if that isdesired, itis necessary to press downon the adjustment member in order to disengage the twosets of teeth sothatvthe inner set can be rotated within the outer set.

According to .the provisions of the pat ent statutes, l have explainedthe principle of my invention and have illustrated and described what Inow consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to haveit understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, theinvention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustratedand described.

I claim:

1. Aspring hinge comprising a pair of hinge leaves disposed side by sideand provided with hollow knuckles disposed in axial alignment with oneanother to form a cylindrical barrel having a knuckle of one hinge leafat one end and a knuckle of the other hinge leaf at the opposite end, atubular pivot pin inside the barrel in engagement therewith for holdingthe knuckles in of said plug, the plug and adjustmentmember havingnormally abutting surfaces limiting outward movement of said member insaid passage, a coil spring inside said tubular pin with one endconnected to said inner portion of the adjustment member and withitsopposite the adjoining plug, and releasable interengaging means normallypreventing rotation of said adjustment member in said plug passage, theouter end of said member A being provided with means forreceiving a toolfor turning'it in said passage to adjust the tension on said spring iwhen said interengaging means are disengaged.

' vented by the radial faces of the teeth; Therefore, to're- 2. A springhinge according to claim 1, in which said plugs overly the opposite endsof said barrel, and the outer end of the adjustment member normally issubstantially flush with the outer end of the surrounding plug. i

3. A spring hinge according to claim 1, in which said abutting surfacesare a shoulder in said plug passage and a cooperating shoulder'on saidadjustment member within the passage. 1

4. A spring hinge according to claim 1, in which said interengagingmeans include a set-screw threaded in I 7 said one plug, andcircumferentially spaced depressions in said adjustment member forselectively receiving the inner end of the screw. Y

5. A spring hinge according to claim 1, in which said interengagingmeans include a set of inwardly projecting circumferentially spacedteeth around the wall of said passage at its inner end, and a set ofteeth projecting from said adjustment member into engagement withtheplug teeth, said sets of teeth being disengageable by pressing saidmember inwardly to permit it to be turned. I

6. A spring hinge according to claim 1, the inner end portion of saidplug passage having a side wall diverging inwardly and provided withratchet teeth, and said adjustment'member having a tapered portion insaid passage provided with ratchet teeth engaging with the plug teeth,said teeth forming said interengaging means, the

' adjustment member teeth sliding inwardly against'said end connected tothe plug at the opposite end of the pin, the spring pressing said memberoutwardly against.

plug teeth and past them when said member is turned in one direction.

1. A spring hinge comprising a pair of hinge leaves disposed side byside and provided with hollow knuckles disposed in axial alignment withone another to form a cylindrical barrel having a knuckle of one hingeleaf at one end and a knuckle of the other hinge leaf at the oppositeend, a tubular pivot pin inside the barrel in engagement therewith forholding the knuckles in alignment, plugs rigidly mounted in the oppositeends of the barrel, one of the plugs being provided with an axialpassage therethrough, an adjustment member having an outer portionrotatably mounted in said passage and an inner portion projecting fromthe inner end of said plug, the plug and adjustment member havingnormally abutting surfaces limiting outward movement of said member insaid passage, a coil spring inside said tubular pin with one endconnected to said inner portion of the adjustment member and with itsopposite end connected to the plug at the opposite end of the pin, thespring pressing said member outwardly against the adjoining plug, andreleasable interengaging means normally preventing rotation of saidadjustment member in said plug passage, the outer end of said memberbeing provided with means for receiving a tool for turning it in saidpassage to adjust the tension on said spring when said interengagingmeans are disengaged.
 2. A spring hinge according to claim 1, in whichsaid plugs overly the opposite ends of said barrel, and the outer end ofthe adjustment member normally is substantially flush with the outer endof the surrounding plug.
 3. A spring hinge according to claim 1, inwhich said abutting surfaces are a shoulder in said plug passage and acooperating shoulder on said adjustment member within the passage.
 4. Aspring hinge according to claim 1, in which said interengaging meansinclude a set screw threaded in said one plug, and circumferentiallyspaced depressions in said adjustment member for selectively receivingthe inner end of the screw.
 5. A spring hinge according to claim 1, inwhich said interengaging means include a set of inwardly projectingcircumferentially spaced teeth around the wall of said passage at itsinner end, and a set of teeth projecting from said adjustment memberinto engagement with the plug teeth, said sets of teeth beingdisengageable by pressing said member inwardly to permit it to beturned.
 6. A spring hinge according to claim 1, the inner end portion ofsaid plug passage having a side wall diverging inwardly and providedwith ratchet teeth, and said adjustment member having a tapered portionin said passage provided with ratchet teeth engaging with the plugteeth, said teeth forming said interengaging means, the adjustmentmember teeth sliding inwardly against said plug teeth and past them whensaid member is turned in one direction.